As many of you know, the theft of copper wire from street lights has been one of the most persistent problems facing the City in the past several months. To address issues related to streetlights, the City has been taking a two-pronged approach – implementing theft-deterrent measures wire theft as well as repairing broken streetlights.

City crews have essentially completed the theft deterrent portion of the project and are now transitioning their focus back into street light repair, which is a more labor-intensive process.

The City currently has an estimated 3,200 streetlights that are out of service (out of the entire inventory of 42,000 streetlights), and crews are currently able to repair streetlights at a rate of approximately 250 lights per month.

For the most part, the oldest calls for the service will receive repairs first. However, if crews are on the block repairing a light that was reported the longest time ago, they will repair other lights on the block even though they may be more recently reported. The City’s strategy is to conduct the repairs at the lowest possible costs while maintaining its overall repair strategy.

We know that many people have been affected by the streetlight issue and thank you for your patience as we work toward repairing the lights.

To report problems with streetlights, please call 621-CITY.

Residential Solid Waste Proposal Survey Still Available

The City of Fresno is seeking public input on ranking the services that are of high priority during the evaluation of the creation of a residential solid waste franchise fee. Please take a moment to provide your input through a survey on the City’s website at www.fresno.gov/solidwaste. The proposal is contained in Mayor Ashley Swearengin’s proposed budget revision to address an overall Fiscal Year 2013 shortfall of $16 million.

With the City in its warmest time of the year, it’s important to keep in mind water conservation efforts through the spring/summer water schedule.

The seasonal watering schedule runs March 2 through November 30. There is no watering on Mondays or between the hours of 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents with addresses ending in odd-numbered addresses can water on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, while addresses ending in an even number can water on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

In addition to following the required watering schedule, customers can also set their automatic sprinkler timers to an “odd” time, such as 2:57 a.m. or 4:26 a.m. The benefits of resetting sprinklers are two-fold: First, it prevents sprinklers throughout the City from going on at the same time, which can decrease water pressure to individual customers. Second, it helps conserve energy by preventing the City’s pumps from continuously switching on and off every hour instead of steady pumping.

With lawns and landscapes representing an estimated 60 percent of the residential demand for water in Fresno, residents are encouraged to look for and repair leaking, broken or improperly maintained water connections, hoses, sprinklers, faucets, hydrants, pipes, outlets, or plumbing fixtures. Customers receiving a metered water bill are now paying for all the water they use, including water from leaks.

If customers believe they have a leak, they can contact the Water Division to schedule a free leak survey by a Water Conservation Representative who will check for water leaks and other water inefficiencies inside and outside of their residence. They can also help you set your controller.

Water leak surveys and water efficiency analysis are free for City of Fresno single family residential, multi-family and commercial customers. To schedule an appointment, call (559) 621-5480 or email: information@water.fresno.gov. For more information about water conservation, visit www.fresno.gov/water.

One other thing to keep in mind during the hot days of summer: If your power goes out, please remember to check the settings of your sprinklers to make sure they are set properly.

Register as a Bone Marrow Donor

Four Central California children need your help. Daniel, Hendrix, Isaiah and Hugo all have life-threatening forms of blood cancer, and doctors say their best chances for survival are bone marrow transplant.

Mayor Swearengin encourages residents to consider registering as a bone marrow donor at two events this week at the Clovis Veterans Memorial Building, 453 Hughes Ave., Clovis. The events will be held on Friday, July 20, from 4 to 9 p.m. and on Saturday, July 21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Organizers hope to register 1,500 new donors and raise at least $15,000 to help cover the cost of some of the expenses of processing the new donors.

Anyone 18 to 60 years old and in good general health may participate. The test consists of a simple swab inside your cheek. In addition, the Central California Blood Center is waving the usual $42 fee for placement on the registry.

For more information on becoming a bone marrow donor and the donation process, please visit www.dkmsamericas.org.

This Week’s Events

Fresno City Council meeting, Council chambers, Thursday, July 19, 8:30 a.m.

Volunteers are encouraged to wear long pants, hats, gloves and sun block and bring plenty of drinking water. Basic work tools and supplies will be provided by the City of Fresno. Each volunteer will be required to complete a volunteer form and waiver.

Follow Mayor Swearengin, City of Fresno on Twitter

For up-to-date information on happenings related to the City of Fresno, follow Mayor Swearengin on Twitter @MayorSwearengin or the City of Fresno @CityofFresno.